Secret Lover
by Stormyskies89
Summary: "Love has no age" that's what she told him. So can Mac keep his secret? Or do people already know?


**Title:** Secret Lover

**Summary:** Mac has a secret lover. He hasn't told anyone about her. Not even Stella. There's one problem…Mac is terrible at keeping secrets.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CSI: NY.

**A/N:** NO FLAMES! Not accepted.

**2****nd**** A/N:** I know that the concept is ill-conceived and highly unlikely. But it is fiction let's remember that. Also this is set somewhere before Stella leaves and long before Danny becomes a sergeant.

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><p>Snow covered New York in a thick blanket of ice. It wasn't often that the CSIs and Cops got a night off, so when Danny Messer and Mac Taylor especially got a nigh off they relished it. Danny usually went home and watched whatever sport was on and have a beer, while Lindsay put Lucy to bed. Mac would go home and perhaps try to sleep next to his secret. Mac didn't like to keep secrets but this particular secret he kept from everyone, even Stella. He watched her as she slept. She was at least 20 years younger than him but she had said to him when he had first pointed it out, 'love has no age Mac'. He knew now it was true. Although he had more often than not pointed out to her that she was young enough to be his daughter, as one of his CSIs was her older brother it made perfect sense. She stirred when he opened the door of the bathroom and turned the light on. When he curled up in bed next to her she rolled over and slowly opened one eye.<p>

"Hi." She whispered.

"Hi." He whispered back.

"I missed you." She whispered snuggling into his chest.

"You saw me at Lunch." He reminded her.

"Yes and then not until now." She pointed out, "Night off?" she asked snuggling closer still. He just smiled and kissed her softly. Their secret was thrilling sometimes. Mac saying he was meeting a friend for lunch but not saying if their friend was a he or a she. Trying to explain away the small marks of lip gloss that stuck to his clean-shaven cheek in the mornings. He usually laughed them off but he couldn't always explain them away as easily as how he usually did. Danny and Don were getting suspicious not to mention Stella. He was afraid that Stella would go to his apartment to find out what he was hiding and that she'd discover his secret. But then it hadn't happened yet in the six months they'd been dating. Anyway she was usually at University studying Forensics, specifically ballistics. The New York crime lab wanted an expert and she was applying herself to her studies of both the guns and Mac. He didn't argue either, he didn't mind her studying him.

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><p>"Detective Taylor?" He looked up. She stood there, his eyes widened until he realized she had to do a 'placement' and she'd requested to be put to work at the NYPD Crime Lab.<p>

"I told you to go somewhere else." He said standing up. She cocked an eyebrow.

"I told you I disagreed and I chose here." She reminded him.

"I thought we discussed this," He said.

"We didn't dis-" She began only to be cut off by another voice.

"Bella?" She froze. Slowly she turned and smiled brightly at the newcomer.

"Danny! Hi. I'm on placement here. I'm studying ballistics at college and Detective Taylor has agreed to take me on for a month." She said turning to smile at Mac as she spoke. He had no choice but to agree with her then, he could spill the secret in front of Danny.

"That's right, Danny. Isabella will be with us for four weeks. Every case that involves ballistics get her on it." Danny nodded. He smiled at his sister before handing the case file to Mac.

"No flirting with Don Flack got it?" He said, she laughed.

"Got it. No flirting with Don." Danny realized his mistake too late when she sent a flirtatious smile and wink at Adam.

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><p>Danny caught up with Isabella later that day as went to get into the elevator, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.<p>

"I said no flirting didn't I?" He said, she giggled.

"No, you said no flirting with Don Flack. You did not say I that I can't flirt with Adam Ross, who is a sweet guy or Sheldon Hawkes who is a really sweet guy." She said, waving over Danny's shoulder to Sheldon.

"Who haven't you flirted with?" He asked.

"Sid, you and Mac. Why?" She asked.

"Because I just want to know that you're not a serial flirt." He said, she laughed again.

"Danny you _know_ me." She drawled.

"Clearly not as well as I thought I did." He said, she laughed one last time. She flicked her long hair back over her shoulder; she added another flirtatious smile to her brother and stepped into the elevator.

"Mac let me off, it's only placement, so he said I don't have to stay all day. I'm a specialist but you guys are just as good at my job." She winked as the doors closed. Danny rolled his eyes, she hadn't said where she was staying but he knew she wasn't living on campus anymore.

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><p>"I told you that Jersey PD would take you on for their crime lab for your last placement!" Mac snapped.<p>

"Well I didn't want to have to drive to Jersey every day to work with people I don't know! I'd rather know that I can say 'Hey Danny,' you know? Or even 'Hey Mac, I got the results', you know? Can you understand that?" Isabella said, she wrapped her dressing gown around herself and stood in the living room opposite Mac, it was 2:25 in the morning and they were arguing. They hadn't argued in a long, long time. They never had serious arguments anyway, just a few disagreements, but this was an argument.

"I want you to announce that you're going to the Jersey PD tomorrow and to leave the NYPD in favour in Jersey." He said, Isabella stared at him for a moment.

"What are you saying? That having me there is too distracting for you?" She snapped; tears had welled in her eyes, her eyes that matched her brother's.

"No. I just think it's better if you're not in the precinct. Better for both of us." Mac said; his voice was firm and harsh. He didn't want her there. Isabella didn't respond she just turned, tears in her eyes and walked out of the apartment, not caring about the snow. Mac stared after her, before grabbing his coat and running after her. He caught up with her outside. She was tense, she had a feeling of what was coming. She'd experienced only one word after a situation like this.

"I'll never say goodbye to you. Never, you hear me?" Mac said pulling Isabella stiffly into his arms, "I love you Bella. Despite everything. The age gap, the tension at work, everything." He whispered pulling her close.

"And I remember that fight, 2:30am cause everything was slipping right out of our hands, I ran out crying and you followed me out into the street, braced myself for the goodbye, cause that's all I've ever known, and you took me by surprise, you said I'll never leave you alone. You said I remember how we felt sitting by the water and every time I look at you it's like the first time, I fell in love with careless man's careful daughter, she is the best thing, that's ever been mine." Isabella sang quietly through her tears.

"You are the best thing. The best thing that ever been mine." Mac said, Isabella knew that wasn't entirely true, she was best thing after Claire. Even Peyton didn't compare. Isabella, young and brilliant, Isabella Messer was the best thing that could have happened to Mac Taylor. She may be Danny's younger sister and yes young enough to be Mac's daughter but that didn't matter. Not now, not ever.

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><p>"Danny? Can I talk to you?" Mac spotted them out in the corridor he'd told Isabella that if she wanted to defuse the tension in the lab, the best way was to spill to Danny about her relationship with him. He'd tell Lindsay and somehow the others would eventually find out. He watched Danny's face. It went from shock to mild anger and finally to amusement. Danny's gaze went to his boss in his office and he smirked at him. Danny pulled his sister into a hug and said something to her before walking off.<p>

"Seems like he took it pretty well," Mac said when Isabella came in.

"More than pretty well, Mac. He told me he was proud of me for admitting to it. He said that he could tell when I first came here. It was the way I looked at you and spoke to you. He said he heard most of our conversation when I first came into your office as well…Danny always was sneaky. That's why he's a good CSI. He _knew_ Mac. He knew we were together. I'll bet the whole lab knows. He only seemed surprised when I said it had been six months. He didn't think it'd been that long. He just thought it had been a few months." Isabella stopped talking then at the amused expression on Mac's face.

"What is so funny?" She snapped.

"You are. I'm terrible at keeping secrets. I don't know when Danny found out but it might have been only a few weeks after you moved in." Mac told her standing up. Isabella frowned but smiled as Mac pulled her to him by her waist.

"The rest of lab does already know; they are just incredibly good at hiding it." Mac said, Isabella laughed and kissed his cheek quickly.

"Well you might not have anything to do – but I do. So I'll see you later." She said wriggling free and going off to the ballistics lab.

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><p><em>Six Months Later<em>

Isabella sat with her hands in her lap in Danny and Lindsay's apartment, she was waiting for Danny to come home, she told Lindsay that she had something important to tell them and she wanted them to be the first to know, she hadn't even told her parents. Her big brother got first notice. She looked up when the door opened, to reveal not just Danny but Mac as well.

"Mac says you've got some news for us, Belle." Danny said accepting both a beer and a kiss from Lindsay. He sat down Lindsay beside him and Mac sat down next to Isabella.

"Two announcements actually but Mac only knows about one." Isabella said, "The first one and Danny Mom and Dad don't know yet, is that Mac and I are engaged." Lindsay squealed and asked to see the ring immediately. To which Isabella blushed scarlet.

"It's still being made Lindsay. She'll have it in about a month." Mac said.

"The second announcement, I'm assuming this is one Mac doesn't know about." Danny said, Isabella nodded.

"I'm pregnant." Lindsay's jaw dropped, Danny went pale and Mac looked like he was going to pass out from excitement, "Three months." Mac if possible looked even more ecstatic. He had never looked so happy in his life. Except when Claire had agreed to marry him. He glanced at Danny and Lindsay who had overcome their shock. Danny had begun asking if she wanted him to tell them and Isabella seemed to have agreed but asked him to tell them once she was gone. And Lindsay was saying that if Isabella wanted she could borrow some maternity clothes to have. Isabella laughed and said it would save her the money and agreed but only if Lindsay didn't mind. Mac wrapped his arm around Isabella's shoulders and she seemed to remember he was there and relaxed back into him.

"Mac," He looked up at Danny, "you better take good care of her. I'm a bit surprised you didn't ask permission."

"I wasn't aware that big brother held that kind of power over Isabella." He said amused. Danny smiled.

"I guess since she loves you so much it's okay. I just think you're a terribly odd couple." The CSIs said, Isabella laughed.

"Love has no age, Danny." She said.

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><p><em>Trinity Hospital New York City, September 11 2013<em>

"A life born on the same day a life was taken. This is strangely ironic isn't it?" Isabella whispered as she moved so Mac could half lie next to her on the hospital bed. Danny stood to the side with Lindsay, he was holding his niece and was telling Lucy exactly who she was and what her name was.

"Thank-you for calling her Claire." He whispered.

"A nice tribute I thought. You loved Claire very much, Mac. I can't ignore that. The way you called me Claire several times. I was flattered, really I was. So I figured now you have another Claire in your life." Mac kissed Isabella softly. Don, Hawkes and Adam were there too, Jo was late arriving but Danny and Lindsay were Godparents to Claire so it worked because Mac was Godfather, they made Isabella Godmother. Strange how things happen.

"So…I guess for a few months it was bit of a secret huh? You and Mac was it Isabella?" Hawkes asked.

"Sure was. Why do you ask?" She said turning her head to the Detective.

"Well I think it sounds like Mac, had what we may call a secret lover." Flack laughed. The group all laughed at the suggestion but they agreed that it sounded about right.


End file.
